1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the treatment, control, minimization, and/or prevention of mammary disorders in non-humans (e.g., bovine mastitis) and, more particularly, to the treatment, control, minimization, and/or prevention of bovine mastitis using animal bedding having one or more solvents and a lignocellulosic fiber that has been processed first by ruminant digestion and subsequently by anaerobic digestion.
2. Background Art
Bovine mastitis is one of the most common diseases in dairy cattle. Mastitis occurs when the udder becomes inflamed. Inflammation may be caused by many types of injury including infectious agents and their toxins, physical trauma or chemical irritants. Many microorganisms or bacteria have been identified as causing mastitis, but it is believed that serious cases of mastitis are in most instances caused by the following pathogens, namely: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and E. coli. 
The most common mastitis pathogens are found either in the udder (contagious pathogens) or the cow's surroundings (environmental pathogens). Contagious pathogens, such as Streptococcus agalactiae and Staphylococcus aureus, primarily colonize host tissue sites such as mammary glands, teat canals, and teat skin lesions and are generally spread from infected udders to healthy udders during the milking process. This can include through contaminated teatcup liners, milker's hands, paper or cloth towels used to wash or dry more than one cow, and possibly flies. Environmental pathogens, such as streptococci, enterococci, and coliform organisms, are commonly present within the cow's surroundings from sources such as cow feces, soil, plant material, bedding, or water; and infect by casual opportunistic contact with an animal. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, environmental pathogens associated with the animal bedding used for housing cattle is the primary source of infection.
Mastitis causes compositional changes in milk, including an increase in somatic cell count (SCC). Milk from normal (uninfected) cows generally contain below 200,000 somatic cells/ml. An elevation in SCC, above 300,000 somatic cells/ml is abnormal and is an indication of inflammation of the udder. The types of somatic cells present in the milk change to mostly white blood cells, which add many proteolytic and lipolytic enzymes to milk. In addition, more blood serum leaks into the milk than usual. Dairy product quality defects resulting from mastitis are typically due to enzymatic breakdown of milk protein and fat. Casein, the major milk protein of high nutritional quality, declines and lower quality whey proteins increase which adversely impacts dairy product quality, such as cheese yield, flavor and quality. Protein breakdown in the milk can occur in milk from cows with clinical or subclinical mastitis due to the presence of proteolytic enzymes. Plasmin increases proteolytic activity more than two-fold during mastitis. Plasmin and enzymes derived from somatic cells can cause damage to casein in the udder before milk removal. Deterioration of the milk protein may also continue during processing and storage of milk from infected cows. Other compositional changes in the milk include a decrease in potassium and calcium levels.
Mastitis costs the United States dairy industry approximately two billion dollars annually or approximately 12 percent of the total United States milk production. The costs include reduced milk production, discarded milk, replacement cows, medication, labor, and veterinary services. Currently, acute mastitis is treated with antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and oxytocin. The treatments however are often time consuming (sometimes several successive intramammary applications), expensive, and not fully efficacious.
Various attempts at treating, controlling and/or preventing mastitis have been known in the art for years and are the subject of a plurality of publications and patents including: U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,734 entitled “Antimicrobial Composition Useful for the Treatment of Bovine Mastitis,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,962 entitled “Composition for Treating Mastitis and Other Staphylococcal Infections,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,543 entitled “Bovine Mastitis Treatment,” U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,872 entitled “Method of Treating Domestic Animals Such as Cows for Mastitis and Apparatus for Injecting Ozone into Breasts,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,048 entitled “Method for Treating or Preventing Bovine Mastitis,” U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,806 entitled “Method of Treating Bovine Mastitis,” United States Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0301407 entitled “Method of Treating a Mammalian Teat and Related Compositions,” United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0298386 entitled “Compositions and Methods for Treating Mastitis,” United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0077235 entitled “Composition and Method of Treating Mastitis,” International Publication No. WO 2014/001353 A1 entitled “Pharmaceutical Compositions and Treatment of Mastitis,” and European Publication No. 0 359 873 B1 entitled “Method of Treating Mastitis and Other Staphylococcal Infections,” all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety—including all references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,734 appears to disclose a two-part antimicrobial composition used in the treatment of bovine mastitis comprising at least one chlorine dioxide-generating component comprising at least one metal chlorite and at least one acid-forming compound in a solid carrier, and at least one liquid aqueous component. The composition further comprises at least one antimicrobial fatty acid having from approximately 2 to approximately 15 carbon atoms, and preferably from approximately 6 to approximately 12 carbon atoms. The components, upon mixing, form a composition having a pH in the range of approximately 5 to approximately 10.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,962 appears to disclose a composition for killing staphylococci comprising lysostaphin and an agent which synergistically enhances the bactericidal activity of the lysostaphin, and which is in an amount effective to produce the synergistic enhancement, selected from the group consisting of penicillin, bacitracin, methicillin, cephalosporin and polymyxin, and wherein the lysostaphin and the agent are together in amounts effective to kill staphylococci. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,543 appears to disclose chemical compositions for the treatment of bovine mastitis which are combinations of components, namely: echinechea goldenseal supreme, wild ginseng supreme, gelsemium, pokeroot, and aconite, and aloe vera juice, which form a dose which is injected into the mastitis affected portion of a cow's udder for a minimum of two doses per day for at least three days.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,872 appears to disclose a method and an apparatus for use in treating bovine mastitis by means of ozone chemotherapy without relying on drugs, such as antibiotics. An ozone injecting apparatus is also disclosed that comprises an ozone generator connected to an oxygen cylinder or an air compressor, an ozone guide tube for guiding ozone generated by the ozone generator, and an ozone injection nozzle fitted to the tip of the guide tube which is intended to be inserted into the teat orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,048 appears to disclose a method for preventing or treating an animal (e.g., a cow) for mastitis, (e.g., bovine mastitis) by administering to the animal a composition comprising copper ion and an organic compound having at least two hydroxyl groups and at least one unsaturated carbon-carbon bond, (e.g., ascorbic acid) in an amount effective to prevent or treat mastitis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,806 appears to disclose a method of treatment of mammary disorders of animals comprising the intra-mammary administration during the dry period of an antibiotic together with a substantially water-insoluble and oil-insoluble binding agent in the form of granules, wherein the binding agent constitutes five to twenty percent of the granules.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0301407 appears to disclose a method of treating or protecting a mammalian teat by applying a topical composition to the teat, wherein the topical conditioning composition comprises: citrate; methylene blue; and an alkyl para-hydroxybenzoate.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0298396 appears to disclose compositions that are effective in controlling or in preventing mastitis in an animal. The disclosed compositions comprise a biocidal system, comprising a primary biocide and a preservative component; a nonionic surfactant having an hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) from approximately 10 to approximately 20; an emollient system comprising an extradermal penetrating agent and an emollient base; a thickening agent; and an aqueous based carrier.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0077235 appears to disclose methods and compositions for treating bacterial infections with bacteria-associated phage proteins, enzymes or peptides, and/or peptide fragments thereof. More specifically, the '235 reference pertains to phage lytic and/or holin proteins, or peptides and peptide fragments thereof, blended with a carrier for the treatment and prophylaxis of bacterial infections for mastitis.
International Publication No. WO 2014/001353 A1 appears to disclose a pharmaceutical composition and method of treating and/or preventing mastitis in non-human mammals. More particularly, the '353 reference relates to the treatment of mastitis in cows. The pharmaceutical composition comprises a mixture of a phosphonic acid and at least one antimicrobial agent.
European Publication No. 0 359 873 B1 appears to disclose a lysostaphin-containing composition for killing staphylococci (and which therefore does not itself contain staphylococci), characterized in that it also comprises at least one cell wall-active antibiotic in an amount effective synergistically to enhance the bactericidal effect of lysostaphin against staphylococcal mastitis.
While compositions and methods for treating mastitis have been known in the art for years, there is a need for a treatment, control, minimization, and/or prevention option which improves the efficacy of the current standards and/or provides acceptable efficacy with additional positive assets, for example, reduced milk withdrawal, reduced duration of treatment, and/or a less costly treatment option.
There is also a need to improve the treatment, control, minimization, and/or prevention of bovine mastitis using animal bedding having one or more solvents and a lignocellulosic fiber that has been processed first by ruminant digestion and subsequently by anaerobic digestion—without the use of antibiotics and/or toxic chemicals.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.